Hudson County politicians on the local, state and federal level, as well has immigration advocacy groups praised President Obama's executive order on immigration reform. Here are the reactions to the president's speech Thursday night:

Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise: "I stand with our legislative delegation in Washington, led by Sen. Menendez, in strongly supporting the executive action of President Obama to move forward on the issue of immigration reform. His position makes sense: crack down on illegal immigration at the border; deport felons, not families; and hold certain undocumented immigrants accountable by requiring they pass a background check and pay taxes. The President's action isn't the comprehensive immigration reform legislation we need, but it is a sensible stopgap until Congress finally passes a bill that secures our borders and brings millions of undocumented workers out of the shadows for good."

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, D-Secaucus: "I believe government must play a role in helping give people a leg up so they can reach the American dream. That's why I'm so pleased to see President Obama take this strong executive action on immigration that could help an estimated 137,000 New Jersey residents. The President has taken an important step to fix our broken immigration system. It gives undocumented immigrants who pass a criminal background check and pay their fair share of taxes to register to temporarily stay in the U.S. without fear of deportation."

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop: "We support President Obama who has taken a major step in the right direction for millions of immigrant families and our country, while the Republican leadership in Congress has consistently failed to do what is right for America. Jersey City, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, has one of the most diverse communities in the country home to thousands of immigrant families. To assist these families, we have established an Office of Diversity & Inclusion, offer English language courses and citizenship classes and services through City Hall, and have been working with the federal Immigration and Citizenship services to help these families toward success and fulfilling the American Dream."

Senate President Steve Sweeney: "New Jersey is the most diverse state in the country. That is what makes us great. The president's executive order is a necessary, and welcomed, first step. When we passed the Dream Act we said how important it was to provide our residents an opportunity to pursue the American dream. This is also vital to our economy and our security so needless to say it was a great start."

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey: "I do applaud his efforts to bring people out of the darkness and into the light. I'd rather know who's here to pursue the American dream. The president would be the first to say, 'I'm waiting for the Congress to act.' I would have liked him to act earlier."

Rep. Albio Sires, D-West New York: "Since I was first elected to Congress, I have been fighting for comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, the current majority party has had the best chance in a generation to fix our broken immigration system, but walked away. Now, President Obama, as did his predecessors, is using his legal executive authority to grant relief to millions of families who support themselves and have deep ties to America."

State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco: "The President is doing the right thing by protecting these families and giving people with no criminal record the opportunity to work here legally, pay taxes and contribute to our society. Now it's time for Congress to do its job by passing the bi-partisan comprehensive immigration reform bill backed by Sen. Robert Menendez that was overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. Senate last year."

New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice (NJAIJ): "The President's executive action is a great first step in the right direction, but it is not a permanent solution. Those who will qualify for deferred action through this executive order are at the mercy of Congress and any change in the administration. There are still millions who do not qualify for deferred action and the new limited changes to the refugee process still don't allow all of the children fleeing from life-threatening violence in their home countries to enter the United States without risking their lives. This action will not provide relief to the millions who will continue to live in the shadows."

Edward Correa, executive director of Working Families United for New Jersey (WFUNJ) coalition: "Our coalition applauds President Obama's leadership in taking action on immigration and providing deportation relief to at least 4 million of our neighbors who live and work in society's shadows, and are vulnerable to wage theft and many discriminatory practices."